


What do you mean, Jack's 10 years old?! [Discontinued]

by orphan_account



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Feels, I might add more tags later, M/M, Other, Possible fluff/cute depending on how you take this?, idk - Freeform, prompt driven
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-21 20:22:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8259463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It was an accident.Tracer's accelerator got shot, the sniper bullet sliding almost effortlessly through the machine and leaving sparking wires in its wake. 76 was closest, making a split second decision to make a grab for the brit's arm in an attempt to anchor her to the timeline.Then he stupidly let go in surprise when he was pulled into the Slipstream with her.His fingers snagged around empty air when he tried to grip her wrist, fear and uncertainty clotting up the back of his throat. No, no no no, no. This was bad, this was bad. He had no idea on how the slipstream worked, he could end up worse than Tracer.A flash of blue, and he was forced out of that plane of reality and into the current one, giving him no time to adjust before his mind went black and he pitched forward.





	1. Chapter 1

It was an accident.

Tracer's accelerator got shot, the sniper bullet sliding almost effortlessly through the machine and leaving sparking wires in its wake. 76 was closest, making a split second decision to make a grab for the brit's arm in an attempt to anchor her to the timeline.

Then he stupidly let go in surprise when he was pulled into the Slipstream with her.

His fingers snagged around empty air when he tried to grip her wrist, fear and uncertainty clotting up the back of his throat. No, no no no, no. This was bad, this was bad. He had no idea on how the slipstream worked, he could end up worse than Tracer.

A flash of blue, and he was forced out of that plane of reality and into the current one, giving him no time to adjust before his mind went black and he pitched forward.

: :

"You have got to be kidding me."

Jack stood in front of the broken glass plane, his reflection bouncing off faintly amongst the dirt caked surface. His scars were gone, the '76' jacket hanging limply across his shoulders, the hem stretching down to the back of his knees. Eyes, once milky white and blind, returned to their original baby blue. His hair was blonde again.

But no, he had to go even further back.

A bandaid across one cheek, from when Max pounced and scratched it in the dog's haste to greet him. A missing tooth from when he ran headfirst into a wall. Blue flannel tied across his waist, the visor tucked into it to prevent it from getting lost, and beige khakis hanging from his hips, brushing against the top of his worn shoes.

[John Jack Morrison was now 10. Years. Old.](http://awesomedragontamer.tumblr.com/image/151601301751)

"Hey, hello? Anyone?" He called out in his high voice, tugging the jacket around him slightly more, hoping that it would shield him from the cold of the night. God, it was night, how much time had passed? Did time even pass? Did he travel back in time?

Jack scoffed, kicking lightly on the floor. A small pebble skipped across the surface. Even his memories were off, anything happening- or has happened- beyond his age blurry and faded in his mind.

 _Right_ , he thought to himself. _Get ahold of the team, asses the situation, stay out of sight until help arrives. Basic protocol._

The child looked around. Where... ah, there. An abandoned building.

As fast as he could, he sprinted under its cover, unused to how slow he moved and how quickly he was reduced to short breaths while he searched the building. Eventually, he shut himself off in a supply closet and yanked out the visor, the red glow casting a ghostly crimson light in the dark area.

Jack hesitated, before he pressed the slightly oversized mask to his face.

Red tinted his vision, data streaming across his eyes faster than he bothered to read. What he wanted was the commlink.

"--gent Morrison, Agent Morrison!" A woman's voice blared through. "Where is your current location?"

Jack jumped. The voice was so familiar. "A... Athena?" He thinks that's her name, it was hard to remember. "I-I'm at the last mission place, abandoned building I think?"

Complete silence took over the line except for the small beeps of data. Panic coiled in his gut. "Athena? Hello?"

"Jack?" Athena finally spoke up, the AI's voice tinged with disbelief. "Your vitals show that you're 10 years, 3 months, 17 days of age--"

"It's a long story that involves... Oxton? No, Lena." The blonde quickly cut her off. His head was already pounding, aching painfully whenever he brought up things that happened in the 'future'. "Send help!"

"Affirmative. Alerting base, the others should be knowing of your location. I'm getting a hold of your location--"

In his complete and utter haste, he neglected to expect the oncoming attack that flew to his side, sending him sprawling with a cry of pain. The visor flew out of his grip and clattered to the floor a short distance away, before it abruptly shattered under the weight of a large, heavy boot.

Jack flinched and scrambled to get up, calloused palms pushing against the floor, eyes wide with panic. "Wh- what--" He stuttered. His mind couldn't process it, the adrenaline pumping through his veins not allowing him to piece together the information correctly, that both the hit and the boot had come from--

He stared down the barrel of a shotgun. Jack's breath hitched and he froze.

Reaper.

Said man stared at the child, clad in his enemy's jacket and staring up at him with fear filled eyes, blue and bright and tugging at the edge of his memory. This wasn't Soldier. "Where's 76?"

"S-Soldier?" The kid asked, clutching the edge of the jacket like a lifeline, too in shock to respond properly. "I-I don't--"

"WHERE IS HE?!" Reaper roared, patience running thinner with every passing second. The child swallowed heavily, curling up even further.

He didn't know, he doesn't know 76, he doesn't know, "stop asking stop asking stop asking I'm sorry, I don't know I'm sorry stop leave me alone!"

The older man watched as the kid suddenly fell apart before him, tears streaming down his face as he choked out apologies, desperately pressing himself against the wall.

Something very akin to guilt tugged at his stomach uncomfortably, and he scoffed. The cloaked figure reached down, holding up a red shard of what was left of the visor in his silver tipped claws. "Kid, where did you get this?" He growled, lowering the shotgun.

Jack swallowed, wiping his eyes as his brain suddenly kicked into overdrive. "I-I..." Reaper. Talon agent. He can die. "I found it, a-and I was cold, and the mask l-looked really cool..." He curled up even more, blood roaring in his hears. "P-please don't kill me."

Found?

Reaper straightened with a snarl. "Then where is that fool...?" He muttered, before he grabbed the collar of the 76 jacket, hoisting Jack to his feet forcefully. "Show me."

Jack hesitated, taking two shaky steps forward before the world spun before him and he stumbled with a yelp. Reaper's hands shot out, catching his small frame in his grip. "The hell's wrong with you, kid--" He sees red.

Blood.

The kid was bleeding out from his side, right where Reaper rammed into him, a large wound that was meant for 76 to take instead of some fragile civilian. Jack whimpered, tears welling up in his eyes. "O-ow..."

The mercenary cursed under his breath. He scooped up the child and he whimpered even more. Shit. He must have been so in shock he didn't realise the pain.

Jack wasn't even aware of the blood until the smell hit him. This form of his had his pain tolerance dropped back down to zero, and he had to bite down on his tongue to prevent himself from screaming.

"Shit, ah, fuck--" Reaper looked around. Supply closet, there's literally nothing here. With a grunt, he sprinted out of the room, careful not to jostle the child before he found a couch. Great.

Jack must have blacked out for a few seconds, because when he came to, the cloaked figure had tossed aside his oversized jacket, opening a bandage roll with a swift grab at his own belt. Every rattling breath he took hurt. Broken ribs for sure.

"Sit up, kid." Reaper growled.

"M-- Gkh!" He choked out a sob when the other man placed a hand on his back and pushed him upright. "My n-name's Jack."

Reaper paused. "Jack?" He asked, almost in a murmur.

He hesitantly nodded 'yes'. "Jack. W-What'bout you?"

"... Reaper." A clawed hand unravelled the bandages and began to bind up his chest, and Jack bit down a gasp when it sent stars exploding behind his already blurry vision. "Stop crying."

"You stop c-crying." Jack retorted. Reaper scoffed.

Just like a milder Fareeha.

"Is there anything else I'm supposed to know about you, Jack?" The name rolled off of his tongue like it's been said one too many times, a ghost calling out for a dead man in vain.

The blond took in another sharp, shuddering breath. "Last n-name's M-Morrison."

"Jack... Morrison?" This time, Reaper had to do a double take and look at Jack closely. "But-- but you're 10 fucking years old!"

"Y'said a bad word." Jack mumbled groggily.

"You even act like you're 10, are you..." A coincidence, or an accident gone wrong, it had to be. "... Where do you live?"

"Indiana-- ow!" The child hissed in pain when the older man tied off the bandage. "W-with my ma, and pa... and Max, and sis..."

This was Jack Morrison. This was a child. This was a 10 year old Jack Morrison bleeding out in his arms.

He didn't even question it anymore.

"Do you still remember me?" He asked softly. Jack blinked, hazy from the pain and the receding adrenaline. "Do you still remember when we were best friends, Jack?"

"... Reyes?" Jack asked softly. The word just slipped through his mouth. Reaper inhaled sharply through his teeth. "Can't remember much, just... lotta... just lots of guilt, and anger... and sorry... ow..."

One pull of a trigger, this kid was weak and frail. He couldn't defend himself even if he tried. Just like that, his problem would be gone. What's stopping him?! Stop delaying!

"What else?"

Goddamnit.

"I remember..." It hurt, it hurt to think, it hurt to try to force the words out of his mouth. "I remember... g-getting my ass kicked. Heh... and... promotion? And... a big, big fire, like an e-explosion, and..."

Jack trailed off. The only sound that filled the room was the low hum of the atmosphere and short, rattling breaths.

"... you were... I trusted you, Gabe."

The words hit him harder than he expected, yanking his heart the wrong way. Slowly, he pulled his hand away, letting Jack lie on his back. The child blinked and stared the older man in mild surprise.

"You didn't--..." Gabriel curled his hands into fists. "You didn't let me know, you got the promotion, I was so, so proud of you, and you just cut me off like I was nothing. Stepping stone."

Jack shivered. "But y-you... but you didn't wanna talk to me." He slurred. "A-and... where's Ma and Pa?"

His memories were already failing him. Typical. "They're not here." Reyes growled.

"I-I missed them." Jack's eyes began to close. He fought to stay awake, the pain in his chest keeping his senses alert.

With a frustrated huff, Gabriel stood up and grabbed the bloodstained jacket and turned it inside out. The metallic liquid had dried somewhat, and when he shook it, crimson flakes cracked and fluttered to the floor. He turned it the right way around and draped the heavy material across Jack's body.

"Take a nap, kid. You're gonna need it."

Jack wanted to complain. He was 10, not a baby, he doesn't need any naps! But the stabbing pain at his side and his heavy eyes told of a different story. He mumbled out an incoherent complaint, before his head lolled sluggishly to the side and he fell asleep.

Gabriel raked his eyes over him for a moment, red rings floating in pools of black, before he lifted his shotgun and aimed it at the sleeping child's head. One shot, easy kill. No more Jack Morrison. Weak Overwatch.

This was what he wanted.

Just... pull the damn trigger!

"... Fuck!" Reaper hurled the gun across the room in a fit of frustration, the weapon clattering to the floor. Reyes ripped his mask off, ivory surface clashing against the darkness of his cloak. He ran a gloved hand down his face, past his countless scars and ashen grey skin, lips twisted into a crude snarl with teeth sharpened like an animals.

A growl formed at the back of his throat. "Why can't you just... die?!" The mask cracked in his grip. "Why can't I kill you?!"

He's a child, he reasoned to himself. If he wants to die, let him die a worthy death. Reaper likes prey who fight back. A child is innocent.

He knows they're poor excuses.

He slipped his mask back on, and then he was gone.

And that was how the team found Jack half an hour later; in the form of a child, asleep, taking short, rattling breaths as he laid on the couch, draped in a large oversized jacket, and Reaper nowhere in sight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, people asked for it....

Jack sleepily rubbed on one eye as the jet rumbled, waking him from his nap. "Mph... where're we?"  
  
"We're going to reach home, Jack." The blonde doctor said with a smile. He pulled her head away from her shoulder, stifling a yawn as he stretched, amazed by how well his ribs felt. Like they haven't been touched, even in the slightest.  
  
When the team found him, saying that they've been surprised was an understatement. Angela had worked on healing Jack the best she could, which wasn't very difficult in the presence of a sleeping child. Jesse gave him a piggy back ride, and halfway through the walk back, he woke.  
  
His memories may be muddled, but they couldn't hide the emotion linked to each person. The cowboy, Jesse, glanced over his shoulder in surprise when Jack mumbled incoherently, burying his face into the red serape more. The term 'Big brother' came to mind.  _Laid back. Relaxed. Trusting._  
  
When they reached the carrier, Lena couldn't stop apologising to Jack. "Luv, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have let go of you in the stream, I should have seen Widowmaker--"

He silenced her with a hug that grew stronger when she slowly returned it.  _Fun, bubbly. Happy._  
  
Reinhardt boomed with laughter, which was quickly stifled when Fareeha gave him a warning push on his shoulder. "Sorry, sorry." He snickered, biting down on his lip. "He's just so... so small! And cute! Mein Gott!"  
  
"I'm 10." He complained, annoyed, scrunching his nose up. Even Fareeha smiled at that.  _Jolly. Chivalrous. Brave_.

Jack sat on one of the seats, the excitement of the day wearing him down. His limbs felt like lead. Angela stayed by his side, and when the low hum of the jet lulled the blonde child to sleep she let him rest his head on her shoulder.  _Kind. Content. Safe._  
  
The door opened and Jack slowly slipped off his seat, automatically grasping Angela's hand for reassurance. She chuckled softly and guided him down towards the base. "Let's get you washed up first, _kära_." She crooned. "I'm pretty sure we have some clothes that would fit you."

"Thanks again!" He chirped. The doctor smiled down at him, glad to see him even remotely happy for once, even if the cost was his memories and age.

Jack entered the building, eyes growing wide as a gut wrenching sense of déjà vu sent his mind reeling. "Woah." He breathed, looking around in wonder, absorbing every little bit of detail. "This is the Overwatch base, right?"  
  
"That's right." Jesse drawled, stepping up behind them. "Hey Angie, I'll be inside. Bring the lil' fella in later, right?"

"Sure thing." She replied, steering Jack towards the lounge, the doors sliding open automatically with a small hiss when Athena detected their presence.  
  
Four pairs of eyes were drawn to Jack and Angela.

"... Uh, Angela, is that your kid or somethin'?" Lucio asked.  _Sweet, innocent, optimistic._

Angela laughed, corners of her eyes crinkling with mild mirth as she rested her hands on Jack's shoulders. "No, no. Did Athena not brief you?"

"Wait, hold on a tick!" Jamison shifted closer and Jack shied away, looking down bashfully and hands coming up to shield himself.  _Dangerous, but happy. Always happy. Brazen_. "This kid's Jack Morrison now? Hah! Kinda cute, ain't he?"

"'M not cute." He mumbled in defence, before he shifted behind Angela and peeked out from behind her instead.

Hana leaned over the seat with a pearly white grin. "He is! Aww! Oh, wait, damn it!" She crossed her arms and abruptly leaned back, arms crossed. Jack couldn't help but smile.  _Witty, snappy. Quick thinking. Sharp_. "I can't make any old man jokes anymore!"

"Hana, no swearing!" Angela chided with a frown.

The Chinese woman was the only one who walked closer, kneeling in front of Jack a safe distance away. "It is okay." She cooed. "Hello, Jack!"

Angela placed a reassuring hand on Jack's head, prompting him go forward. He didn't need more encouragement, stepping ahead and shaking Mei's outstretched hand politely. She smiled, and Jack mirrored it, one teeth still missing.  _Warm. Comfortable, soft._

"Haha! 他真的是很可爱！他也有礼貌。" She praised. "But your clothes are bloodstained. Angela, do you happen to have some spare shirts?"

"Sadly, none that would fit him." The doctor glanced at the trio behind Mei. "That's why I was wondering if--"

"FASHION TIME!" Hana practically screamed, eyes filled with stars. Giggling, the gamer girl shook Lucio's shoulders. "We can get him one of your smaller shirts! It should fit him! Oh! Maybe we can also get some accessories!"

Angela nervously scratched the side of her cheek. "Don't overwhelm him, alright?"

"We won't!" Lucio walked up and offered a hand. "C'mon, lil' guy, let's get'cha something cool to wear."

Jack paused, before he nodded and gently placed his free hand onto Lucio's open palm, letting go of Mei. The Brazilian grinned in return, gently guiding him down the hall with Hana trailing after the duo, chattering excitedly. Jamison hobbled down the hall, though he did take a different turn. To tell Mako, Angela supposed. 

"Can the process be reversed, doctor?" Mei asked. "He can't stay a child forever."

"... I don't know." Angela rubbed the side of her arm worriedly. "I... honestly don't know."

: :

"I still don't know why you want that shirt, but it looks good on you!" 

"It's... a little too big."

"Details, Lucio. Besides, it's not that big.”

Jack shrugged and smoothed down the front of his tee. It was a little big, but not by much. A black hoodie covered most of the dark green material, anyways. "It just feels right." He said. The pair of black pants was a little too big, too, the fabric pooling around his ankles ever so slightly, but a brown belt held it in place well enough. The bloodstained clothes were taken down near the washing machine by Ana, who just so happened to go their way. "But, do you guys have a... a... a cloth hat?"

"Cloth hat?" Hana shot a questioning look to Lucio. He shrugged in return. "What's that?"

"It's like," Jack began to wave his arms slightly, frustrated by his lack of vocabulary. "A cloth hat? Like, a dome shape? And it's black in colour, and stretchy. Uh..." He scratched the side of his head, before he suddenly grinned and smacked the base of his fist against his palm. "A beanie! That's what it's called!"

Lucio laughed, shuffling over to the wardrobe and rummaging through it. Within a matter of seconds, he held a black beanie in his hands. "This?"

"Yeah!" the blond grinned, eagerly taking it from Lucio's waiting hands and slipping it over his head. A spiky tuff of hair stuck out of the front, but he didn't really care. All that mattered to him was the oddly fulfilling sensation of right. "Thank you!"

"No problem, buddy." Lucio ruffled his beanie, only shifting it askew. Jack giggled with Hana at the antic. 

A gentle knock on the door, and Winston opened it. "Guys? It's dinnertime--"

"Giant Ape! Win... Winston!" Jack snapped his fingers, proudly remembering his name.  _Gentle giant. Smart. Caring._

"Hm? Oh, hey Jack!" It still unnerved the scientist to see his former boss in the form of a 10 year old minor. Winston smiled, slightly crooked, but warm all the same. "It's dinnertime."

Hana stood up, stretching, before dropping her hands down to her sides. "Guess we should get a move on! C'mon, you noobs. Let's go grab a bite!"

Jack, once again, instinctively reached out and grasped Lucio's hand for reassurance. The kid was guided out to the dining room, where he instantly chose to sit by Angela again. She smiled in greeting, the constant chattering around the table making the atmosphere light. Most of the team were in casual outfits, wearing t-shirts of all varieties with the occasional traditional garment thrown into the mix, creating a sea of colours that decorated the room. The scent of food made Jack's mouth water, having had nothing to eat since the day before. 

Angela seemed to note the same thing, because she took Morrison's plate and piled some food onto the surface, setting it down in front of him soon afterwards. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Ma." Jack bowed his head and clasped his hands together, muttering a quick grace before he dug into his meal.

The Swiss doctor had to do a double take at what she was labelled as. "M-Mom?" 

The former soldier paused, what he said processing in his mind, before he suddenly choked on his food, pounding his chest a few times in an attempt to swallow it down. "A-Ah, whoops, I said Ma'am! Ma'am! Hahahha!" Stupid, stupid. Smooth, Jack, real smooth.

"You know, you can call me whatever you like." She reassured. Flustered, Jack hesitantly flickered his eyes up to meet her gaze. "It's fine, really!"

Jack beamed through the red in his cheeks, and he quickly turned his attention back to his food, not noting how most of the older members of the team drew their gazes towards him and the outfit that represented what they thought was an inseparable bond.

: :

"And you'll be staying in this room for tonight, if that's OK with you." Winston rumbled, stopping in front of Jack's old room, just in case the child didn't remember his way around. Jack released his hold on Winston's armour, looking at the door with a mild sense of nostalgia.

"Thanks, Mister." He greeted.

"Well?" Winston nudged the corner of his glasses with a knuckle, before gesturing to the door with a sweep of his arm. "Go on."

He pushed open the door, slightly irked by how the door handle seemed to reach his shoulders, just emphasising on how short he actually was. Warm yellow light flooded into the room with a click. Jack scrambled up onto the bed with a shout and began to bounce on it,  falling onto his back with a giggle. "This is nice."

"I'll leave you to it. Yell if you need anyone, ok?"

"Don't worry, I'm not a baby. I know where everything is!" Jack pushed himself onto his elbows and gave a thumbs up. 

"Alright. Goodnight, Jack." 

"Night, Winston!"

The lights flickered off and door shut with a click. Jack just flopped back onto the bed, full and content and happy...

And suddenly, very very alone.

With an impatience only ever seen in kids (and a certain Brit), he began to fidget, starting with shaking his legs until he began to hum. When that didn't satisfy him, he slid out of bed and made a grab for the data pad on the table. Jack scrolled through the countless newsletters before he logged into the internet and searched up some stories, just for the fun of it. Blue eyes caught onto the beginning sentence of a long forgotten tale.

He quickly clicked open the tab.

Two books later with the third yet to be found, he groaned at the time. It was already well past midnight. Jack was not happy, not happy at all.

"Where's the sequel...?" He muttered in annoyance, fingers flying across the screen. "It can't just _end_ there!"

His fruitless search ended when he flopped backwards onto the bed in defeat. The hoodie and beanie had been tossed aside some time ago, jeans swapped for sweatpants that were far more comfortable. The piece of tech slipped out of his hand and clattered to the floor.

"The story's dumb, anyways." He complained aloud to himself.

"Hm, I don't know, I personally like it very much."

His pulse skyrocketed and he froze, glancing over to his side where a figure in black stood, smoke curling in wisps around his ankles. The temperature in the room dropped.

Jack gaped a few times, trying to form a sentence, before he grabbed the edge of his blanket and tugged it over his head, curling up into a ball under it.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, amused. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sleeping." Jack stumbled, voice trembling. He shifted until the blanket was tucked around him, the room now dark except for the glow of the moon and the light from the data pad.

Reaper, no... Gabriel. He broke his ribs. He was _mean. Cold. Dangerous. Fatal._ But also... _nice? And kind, and sarcastic. He was regret, and anxiety, and love and trust, and guilt. So much guilt._

And... silence?

Jack shuffled, holding his breath. No response. Did he leave? He must have bought his acting. Hesitantly, he tugged the blankets down until he managed to peek out from his cocoon.

"Boo."

Jack squeaked when two gloved hands clamped down on his shoulders. On instinct, he flailed around with a panicked whine, trying to release the iron grip on his small frame. "Bugger off! I'll-- I'll yell!"

"Calm down, Morrison. Unless you want me to cut into your shoulder."

He instantly quietened down, mouth pressing together in a thin line as he glared at the man. "You're a butt, Reyes." He sniped, eyes narrowing.

Behind his mask, Gabriel's smirk faltered. How much of the Jack he knew was left in there? His hold tightened, before they loosened. Jack glanced at him in confusion, twisting his body around to face him completely on the bed. Azure blue eyes clashed against red.

"Why're you here? To kill me n' my friends?" Jack asked, brows furrowed.

The mercenary scoffed. "I have my reasons." Reasons being Overwatch has a better chance at making pigs grow wings and fly than to trusting them to keeping a kid alive and well.

The child scowled even more at the vague answer. "... Take off your mask."

"And why would I do that?" He growled in reply.

"I want..." Different variations of the same reply coiled at the back of Jack's throat. "I... I want to see what happened to you."

Suddenly, Gabriel was very, very glad at the fact he picked off some lowlife scum in a nearby alleyway earlier, absorbing their souls while flicking the gore off of the tips of his gauntlets. It stabilised him, well enough to not frighten the child. Nevertheless, he had no intention of letting Jack see what he's been degraded to. "No." He rasped.

"Aw, please?" He begged, eyes growing slightly wider. "I promise I won't tell anyone!"

"No means no, kid." Reyes glared at the blond. "Learn to listen."

Jack huffed and fell back on the bed, having leaned forward when he made his request. "Fine, fine. You're no fun."

Well, the kid was clearly alright. For now. Reaper stood up and glanced over to the side. He hadn't reported Jack's state to any Talon agents so far. They didn't need to know. At the thought, the former Blackwatch commander scoffed. Lies by omission. How far had he truly fallen.

"Wait!" Jack leaned forward yet again, swinging his legs over the side of the mattress. "Are you leaving already?"

"What does it looks like?" He shot a fleering glare over his shoulder.

Some part of Jack, his mind, was screaming for the bad man to go away, so that he didn't have to feel that pain again. But the call of the heart was stronger. Jack swallowed down his nerves, the words being pulled out of his mouth with the meaning behind them muddled. "I'm sorry, Reyes!" He blurted.

"... what for?"

Jack sheepishly fiddled with the hem of his shirt, eyes downcast. "Ah, uh... I-I don't remember. Sorry... no no no! Wait!" He called out when Gabriel turned again. "I can remember, just gimme some time, or, uh... does it hurt?"

The sudden topic change prompted the older man to turn around. "What?"

"Doesn't it hurt when you turn to smoke?" Jack began to swing his legs. "I mean, I once got my foot stuck on Pa's shredder and it hurt a lot. Doesn't it hurt for you? To turn so... into smoke?"

The kid was right on the money, Gabriel managed to think bitterly. "Every day." He muttered, hands curling into fists. The tips of his gauntlets scraped against the pads of his gloves.

Before he could stop himself, Jack jumped off the bed and flung his arms around Gabriel, hugging him. Reaper froze. His hands twitched, reaching for his shotgun. What the hell was Jack doing?!

"Ma said a hug makes everything better." Jack looked up, a mix of embarrassment and sheepishness on his scarless face. "I gave sis a hug once and she stopped crying. So 's it helping?"

"... Stop." Gabriel muttered lowly.

Jack pulled away, hands in the air in mock surrender. "Okay, okay! I'm not touching you anymore!"

Gabriel took two steps back. "Don't tell anyone about me." He ordered, shoulders squaring.

"I won't! Scout's honour!" Jack saluted. His form was horribly off, Gabriel noted with a smirk. Arm too loose, fingers curved. "Jack Morrison always keeps his promises!"

Then Gabriel was gone.

Jack glanced at his fleeting form, the last wisp of smoke trailing out of the window and leaving him feeling lonely once again. With nothing else to do, he crawled under the covers of his bed and pulled it over his head, before his eyes fluttered shut. Pfft, they're crazy if they think that Jack can fall asleep that easily--

: :

_"Reyes."_

_"Morrison."_

_"Why do you have to be such an asshole all the time?! You could at least try to show some interest!"  
_

_"I don't have to answer to the questions of a stuck up, perfect little white bread golden boy."_

_"Hi, I'm Angela Ziegler. It will be a pleasure working with you."_

_"Poster boy! Morrison, report in! Where are you?! JACK!"_

_"J-just... give me a s-second-- Gkh! Grrr... I-I'm fine, the blood i-isn't mine..."_

_"For fuck's sake, Morrison! Take better care of yourself!"_

_"Gabriel."_

_"Jackie boy."_

_"Cheers, luv! The name's Lena Oxton, new pilot testing out the Slipstream Beta 1. Pleasure ta meet ya!"_

_"Y-You-- no. Ana, she can't be-- no! NO! How could Lacroix do that to us?! She'd never-- never..."_

_"Oh, he's 17. Great job, Morrison."_

_"W-wait, what?! No, no no, I don't-- give it to him! He's far more professional with years of experience! Please, get them to change it, he deserves it so much more than I do, I can't take his dream away! Listen to me, damnit!"_

_"... Gabe?"_

_"... Strike Commander."_

_"I tried to get them to change it, you know I did! They wouldn't listen to me!"_

_"I told you to drop it. You don't know what I've been through!"_

_"You set the standard so high it's impossible to measure up to it! I'm just trying to make this right, Gabriel!"_

_"Whatever, Strike Commander. Good luck."_

_"... briel! G-Gabriel, where--... no, no no NO NO NO! NO! Gabriel! You can't, please, w-wake up! Gabriel! Gabe, please, w-wake up, S-say something, please, p-ple-ease..."_

: :

Jack didn't know he was crying until he stared at Angela's worried face with blurry, tear filled eyes.

"Jack, Jack, it's alright. It was just a dream." The doctor cooed, pulling the child into a hug. His breath hitched and he wrapped his arms around Angela's neck, tears staining the collar of her lab coat.

"'M sorry, Gabriel, h-he, he's gone, G-Gabe's not m-moving, he needs to wake up but he didn't, and I-I don't know, h-help him..." Hiccups riddled his voice, making it hard to distinguish words from incoherent blubbers of apology. His hands clawed at her back, trying to find something to hold on for closure. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know, wh-what can I do, don't know and he's dying and he can't d-die and he's in stone please get him o-out, heal him..."

Angela didn't know how to respond to that.

After a few minutes, he finally pulled away, rubbing fruitlessly at one eye, red and puffy and irritated from tears. "S-Sorry." He muttered. "'S... was just a dumb dream..."

"No, no." She reassured, reaching over and pulling a few tissues that rested on the bedside table. Jack took them with a mumbling thanks and blew his nose. "It's alright."

She set down a new set of clothes onto the bed and left him to wash up, before taking him down to the hall for breakfast. She took the chance to ask the question that had been on her mind since yesterday.

"Jack... what happened to you? Why were your ribs broken? Who patched you up?"

He swallowed a mouthful of cereal. "W-Well, uh... I was, uh... can't remember." He fibbed. Jack Morrison doesn't break his promises, after all. "Don't know, my visor got crushed and I just kinda blanked."

The Swiss doctor glanced at him suspiciously as he silenced himself with another spoonful of cereal. "If... you say so." She mumbled. There was no reason for Jack to lie, so she should trust him. "But if you remember anything, you have to tell me, alright?"

He hummed and nodded, busying himself with looking at the view outside. The sun was soft, casting warm rays into the kitchen, the light reflecting off of any smooth surface, occasionally creating rainbows that decorated the room. Another mouthful of cereal.

Angela didn't need to know about Gabriel.

She didn't need to know at all.

: :

Gabriel was there again, the next night.

"Haha! I knew you'd be back!" Jack crowed under his breath, making sure that nobody else outside heard them. Gabriel let out an irritated grumble at Jack's enthusiasm. He was an icon for death, why the hell is a kid smiling at his presence? 

Jack smiled, his teeth already starting to grow back. His D.va shirt was, once again, slightly too large, with black shorts accompanying the tee. He had spent the day hanging out with Hana and Lucio, entertaining himself with video games after Winston's unsuccessful attempt to invoke any memories that he might have. They came and go with no obvious pattern. For now, the scientist would have to resume the role of the leader.

"Aw, c'mon, you know you love me." 

"Do I?" Gabriel's eyes glowed dangerously bright, billowing around his ankles. Jack nodded feverishly, still with that stupid grin on his face. "... How do you know for sure?"

"Well, for starters," The child pointed out with a smirk. "You still haven't killed me yet."

His heart leaped into his throat when Reaper yanked out his dual shotguns, jamming one under Jack's chin. "I can, and I will." He glowered, leaving the weapon there for a few moments, letting the metal dig into his skin uncomfortably before he pulled it away, tucking it back into his cloak. Jack let out a breath he had been holding, hands beginning to shake as he stared with Gabriel wide eyes.

Jack curled up under the blankets in tense silence, and Gabriel left.

: :

_"It's Soldier 76. Jack Morrison is dead."_

_"Bullshit! Anyone with eyes can see that it's you! You didn't even bother to disguise your voice!"_

_"Morrison died in that explosion."_

_"It's you, Jack! My god, why are you so- so stubborn about this?! The moment you stepped foot into this place it was clear that it was you, Jack, please! Mein Gott, just admit it!"_

_"He's dead, gone. I'm not him."_

_"Grr! For years, Jack, we thought you were dead too, but you come out of nowhere! Do you have any idea what you did to us? You broke us!"_

_"Stop calling me that."_

_"C'mon, luv! Just admit that you--"_

_"Morrison died in that explosion, and I'm all that's left!"_

_"..."_

_"Now let me ask you all again, one last time. Not as Jack, not as the former Strike Commander of Overwatch. I'm asking as a vigilante with a mission to complete. Where. Is. Gabriel. Reyes?"_

: :

Jack woke with a start, at 4 in the morning. He looked down at his hands, still shaking.

He didn't get another wink of sleep that day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You get what you wish. And if you don't see your prompt here, then they should show up in the next chapter! If there is one, anyways.
> 
> Credits:  
> Writing - Caleb Crow  
> Art - Caleb Crow  
> Prompt - Rapono-San


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People like this a lot for some reason? Huh...

Jack had to spend two nights alone before Gabriel returned.

The ghostly form of the assassin crept through the window once more, moon shining high in the sky. It was late, much later than Gabriel would expect Jack to be awake, but he couldn't sate his worry without seeing him and making sure he was alright.

With a small grunt of effort, he pulled his physical form together the best he could. It was hard for him keep his form tonight; Talon called him back before he had a chance to feed at all. Instead, he had to do the best he could one of the prisoners they had in custody. 

His soul tasted like caramel. Too sweet. Tinged with a sort of bitterness that came with unjustified murder.

His attention was finally drawn to the child in bed. True to his thoughts, Jack was asleep, the blanket thrown onto the floor and his small frame, clad blue, rising and falling with every breath. Gabriel sighed and walked closer, picking up the blanket and draping it over Jack.

Then a whimper escaped his lips, and Jack's hands clenched at the bedsheets. 

Gabriel blinked in surprise, the corners of the thick fabric falling from his clawed hands. The blond curled up on himself a bit more, eyes tightening, mouth pressed into a thin line as his hands shook. 

The mercenary had to swallow the feeling of nostalgia. A nightmare. Jack used to have them, back when he first joined the SuperSoldier program. It happened again when a chain of attacks popped up across the world, the idea of World War III looming over their heads. Gabriel had been there, holding him, making sure he didn't slip away into a world where everything went wrong, where everyone was dead.

"Jack." He rasped, shaking the child's shoulders. "Wake up."

Jack didn't budge, eyes screwing shut tighter. Gabriel scowled and shook him harder. "Morrison. Morrison!"

His blue eyes suddenly snapped open, jaded breaths escaping his mouth as tears instantly welled up in his eyes, shooting upright in shock, small frame shaking with fear.

Without taking time to analyse his surroundings, he leaned forward and hugged Reaper, and tears dribbled down his chin. Gabriel returned the hug, mainly a force of habit, but no part of him protested loud enough for him to stop.

"H-He died again--" Jack sobbed. "Again, he's d-dea-ad, and under stone so help him, p-plea-ase, Gabriel, no-o..."

Gabriel visibly tensed, a hand on Jack's shaking back. The explosion. Did he dream of that?

"P-Please!" Jack begged, eyes shutting tighter, the front of Reaper's cloak growing damp with tears. "Help him! I-I don't know what to do..."

The clock on the table beeped three times. Three in the morning. Gabriel carefully rested a hand on Jack's back, palm flat against the fabric so that his claws didn't leave marks on his skin and wound him further. At the unfamiliar touch, Jack wiped at his eyes and glanced up.

"Wh-- You're not A-Angela--"

"Yeah, no shit, kid."

But Jack was in no hurry to pull away, not when the mercenary posed zero threat to his life at this point in time. He balled his hands into fists, scrounging up the fabric in his grip as to hold onto something, to anchor him to the time. "You... y-you were dead. Dying, under stone." He mumbled.

"You were there." Gabriel's gauntlet dissolved into heavy smoke. "Those are memories."

"B-Buh, you're alive?" 

"Yeah." Angela's face flashed through his mind. Just for a second, his expression faltered underneath his mask. "Yeah, I'm alive. It's three in the morning, you need sleep."

"'S not like I'm gonna sleep anytime soon." The blond clutched Gabriel like he was a lifeline, scared and afraid that he's slip through his fingers and end up exactly in the same place as his dreams. Lifeless once more. "Please stay?"

Gabriel didn't even needed to be asked. He picked Jack up slightly, propping his boots up onto the bed before setting Jack down on his side. The child gratefully leaned into the half embrace. "Thanks."

"Hm." He grunted in reply. 

From that point on, silence took over the room aside from the occasional chirp of crickets that filled the peaceful atmosphere. Without meaning to, Jack yawned, shivering slightly as he did, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. Gabriel kept his arm around Jack, an arm around his shoulders to keep him from slipping. It didn't take long for the kid to fall back asleep.

Gabriel let out a quiet hum, before he carefully shifted Jack, laying him down before picking up the discarded blanket. He tucked the child in. After a moment's hesitation, he let his mask dissolve, and he pressed a chaste peck to Jack's forehead. 

Then Reaper was gone. 

: :

_"You see this?" Jesse raised the slip of paper in his hands, waving the dollar bill. "This's a golden bill."_

_"Uh huh?" Fareeha made the statement sound more like a question._

_Jack chuckled, crossing his arms and leaning back onto his seat. Gabriel grumbled when it meant less space for him on the shared chair. "Goddamnit, Morrison."_

_"Shh, listen." Ana prompted, nudging him with the tip of her boots._

_Jesse gave a grateful grunt. "Thanks, Ma'am. Boss, ya better set a good exaple for Fareeha here--"_

_"What's so special about the dollar bill, anyways?" Fareeha, impatient as ever, cut into his sentence._

_"Right!" He raised the bill again. "Special thing about this is it's got gloss on it. Gloss's a mighty fine thing, keeps the cash waterproof and untearable."_

_"So you can't tear it?" The young Egyptian girl tilted her head._

_Jesse nodded. "Nope! Ain't tearing this thing." To prove his point, he tried to tear the bill with a twisting motion._

**RIIIP!**

_"... Pfft-- Hahahahaha!" Ana wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye, Gabriel chortling along with her. Peals of laughter filled the room as Jesse stared down at the two halves of the bill with his jaw practically hitting the floor. "H-Haha! You should have seen your face!"_

_"Buh-- how-"_

_"You owe me 5, Jesse." Fareeha stuck out her tongue On emphasis._

_Defeated, the cowboy tipped his hat, the broken bill scrunched up in one hand as he chuckled along sheepishly. "Guess I do, darlin'. Heh."_

: :

"So no nightmares tonight?"

"Nope." Jack pushed around a pea on his plate and popped it into his mouth. Amused, Jesse let him, chewing the cigar slightly before he rolled it between his fingers. 

"That's a good sign if I've heard, buddy." The cowboy drawled. "'S good. Lil' buddy like you should get some rest."

It was the response Jack was looking for, grateful that he didn't push or ask for any details on the dream. He had to constantly resist the urge to snicker; the image of young Jesse ripping the paper never failed to send him into a fit of giggles.

Jesse raised an eyebrow. "Ya mind tellin' me what's so funny, partner?"

"I thought Hanzo was your partner." Genji quipped as he walked in. Splutters followed the statement, and Jack tried to stifle his laughs at Jesse's tomato-red face. "See?"

The brunet tugged his hat down. "'Supposed to be private, ya little snitch. Smoochin' the doctor behind our backs, think we don't know that?"

Now it was Genji's turn to freeze, before the vents on his shoulder pads expelled steam. A lot of steam. "U-Urasai, Baka!"

Jack just ate a spoonful of peas. "Tsundere." he muttered.

: :

Gabriel came back more often than Jack expected, every day or so. Ever since the last nightmare, he showed himself more and more. And each and every night, Jack either drifted off into a dreamless sleep, or a pleasant one, filled with happy memories of the past or the antics his present self got into with the current members of Overwatch. Usually, they were filled with gaming sessions, or stories that Reinhardt and Torbjorn told, their own take on what has happened during the past.

But this wasn't such a night.

"Fuck." Gabriel hissed to himself as he held Jack again, having come back late from another mission. The small child was crying again, over and over, but this time it wasn't because of the memory of the bomb.

"-- I- I didn't see the t-trap--... a-and t-the dead b-body, 'n G- _hic_ \- Gerard--"

The Lacroix. He remembered the Lacroixes. 

A warm hand tugged him closer and Jack willingly melted into the comforting embrace, holding onto the other man like a lifeline that anchored him to the presence. Gabriel wasn't there when the body was found, nor did he see it for himself; but the mission files and reference photos were enough for imagery. A mop of sandy blonde hair matted red with blood, throats slit cleanly, jaw broke in three different places and one of his hands missing. Lungs filled with a mixture of blood and water.

Gerard didn't die painlessly, or prettily. Amélie sure did a number on him before he passed.

"Shh, hey, hey. Calm down." Gabriel tried to reassure him with soft murmurs, just like how he used to do to Jesse or Fareeha when the situations arose. "Deep breath in, count to five, deep breath out. Easy."

When Jack tried to do as he said, the tears only seemed to flow faster.

Eventually, the shaking slowed and the stream of tears was reduced to the occasional trickle. "... 'm sorry..." Jack mumbled, spent. Gabriel just held out a box for him to help himself to, balls of crumpled white tissues carelessly falling to the floor.

"Don't worry too much about it, kid."

Wandering hands clumsily shifted himself until Jack was comfortably held in Gabriel's grip, face still buried in the too-large sweater that Lùcio had gifted him with. Bloodshot tired eyes wandered to the clock, and red orbs followed his line of sight.

"... it's 4:28 in the morning, Morrison." Gabe chided softly. "Sleep."

"Are ya gon' be here wh- when I wake up...?"

"You know I can't."

The blonde sighed. It was the same conversation they've been having for almost a month now. Jack just uttered some half hearted complaints under his breath before he closed his eyes in an attempt to go to sleep.

"Tell a story...?" Jack pleaded.

Gabriel sighed in mild annoyance. Silence reigned for a full minute. Jack wasn't getting any closer to sleep. 

"If not, then... let me see your face? Please?"

"... once upon a time, there was a boy called Jack. He lived alone with his madre, and they were poor..."

: :

_"... and the beanstalk grew, and grew, and grew! All the way up until it dissapeared into the sky."_

_"Into the sky?!" Fareeha's eyes widened and she leaned forward, held back only by Jesse's drowsy arms draped across her midsection. Jack smiled and managed a chuckle, nodding._

_"Yeah, straight up. Right into the clouds. And the boy climbed and climbed and climbed, all the way up, until he appeared in what seemed like a house. Everything, and I mean everything, seemed like it was made out of gold--"_

_His comm beeped once before it flared to life with a cackle. "Jack Morrison?"_

_His brows furrowed, and he held a hand up to pause his tale. "Yes?"_

_"Your presence is needed in the office."_

_"Affirmative. I'll be right there, sir."_

_The machine in his ear clicked off and Jack sighed, before he stood. "Duty calls."_

_An annoyed whine escaped Fareeha's throat, and her eyes narrowed with disapproval, but she nodded with a small pout. "Okay," She mumbled. "Finish the story next time?"_

_"Sure thing, Far." Jack gave a slightly crooked smirk and ruffled her hair, rousing the cowboy from his small nap, before he left the room._

_He never got to finish the story._

: :

"I don't know-- I honestly don't..."

Angela undid her hair and pulled it back up again, pulling it up into a high ponytail while holding her pen between her teeth. It's been weeks, almost two months, and they still haven't found out how to get Jack back to normal.

"Calm down, Lena. It's okay, we will find a way." The doctor reassured. Winston gently patted Lena on the shoulder with a massive hand as he past by her.

The Brit tugged at her hair ever so slightly before returning to fidgeting with the goggles in her grip. Scribbling and beeping was the only sound that laced the otherwise silent atmosphere as the doctor worked and the scientist solved calculations. "It ain't that," she finally spoke up, tilting her head up a little more in an attempt to meet their gazes. "It's just... do we really need to turn him back?"

Angela slowed in her movements, lowering the datapad in her hands. "... he does seem happier..." She mumbled. "The nightmares have stopped for him, at least."

"But ignorance is bliss, and we can't let him be clueless as to what's going on." Winston rebutted, pushing the glasses up the bridge of his nose so he could rub it. "I don't like it either, but it's the best course of action."

"And who are we to decide that for him?" Lena rebutted with an irritated huff.

"We are to decide that for him because he can't do it himself." The gorilla explained in a mumble. Slowly, the other two followed his example to continue working, mind whirring with explanations and contradictions. What they can, should, would, will.

The seeds of doubt have already been planted, now they just need time to grow.

: : 

"Eres mi estrella, mi linda estrella." Gabriel hummed as he toyed with one of the drawstrings on Jack's hoodie. The small boy yawned in response, wiping at his bleary eyes. "Cuando estoy triste, me haces feliz. Nunca sabrás, cuanto te quiero. Tú eres, mi estrella, mi amor."

The singing fell silent when snores replace the tune instead. Gabriel huffed softly, before he resumed his song.

"... the other night, dear, as I lay sleeping. I dreamt I held you in my arms." The deep, raspy baritone voice went unheard by all but one. "When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken. So I hung my head and cried."

"I'll always..." A falter. "... I'll always love you, and make you happy... if you will only say the same. But if you leave me... to love another... you'll regret it all one day." 

Regret it all one day. Jack chose his responsibilities and all over his love for his friends and team. Did he regret it? Anything at all?

What about himself?

Just... deafening silence for a solid five minutes. Jack stayed as still as a stone, only for the rising and falling of his chest as an indicator that he was sleeping instead of the notion that it was something much darker. Reaper was lost in his own thoughts, something he had been repeating almost every single time a visit happened.

"... Eres mi estrella, mi linda estrella. Cuando estoy triste, me haces feliz. Nunca sabrás, cuanto te quiero. Tú eres, mi estrella, mi amor. Por favor no tome mi amor."

His embrace grew a little stronger, just a little closer.

"Por favor..."

Unknowingly, his head dipped ever so slightly. Unable to focus enough to keep his mask together, the white porcelain looking material fell away into a dull grey smoke that spilt over his lap and faded away. 

... he'll leave before sunrise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW THIS AINT THE LONGEST  
> But I made this on a whim. I had no idea people think this is great. Ideas will be loved. Honesty. Toss me those ideas, just give em to me.

**Author's Note:**

> I might add more chapters if this gets enough feedback. So yeah! I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Credit:  
> Writing - Caleb Crow  
> Art - Caleb Crow  
> Prompt - immarainbowpatooie
> 
> awesomedragontamer.tumblr.com


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